Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday he supports an alderman's proposal to expand the city's gun offender registry.
Legislation led by Ald. Ed Burke and introduced to the Chicago City Council proposes a registry expansion that would require any residents convicted of a violent crime with a gun to register with Chicago police, similar to a sex offender, and check in with police every year for four years.
That would add to the current registry which requires inclusion of residents convicted of possession or unlawful use of a firearm. Under the proposal, gun offenders who move to Chicago must also register.
Burke says he hopes the expansion will make offenders think twice about committing a crime.
Separately Mayor Rahm Emanuel has said he wants a statewide gun registry. Unlike the city of Chicago, Illinois doesn't require handgun owners to register their guns.
Emanuel said he supports requiring all handguns be registered in Illinois to provide police with "essential information about guns used to commit a crime, reduce illegal firearm transfers, and create a fair system of accountability for gun owners."
The mayor said he has bipartisan support for the bill, saying there will be "a gaping hole in the crime fighting strategy" unless the law is supported.
